self built carport?

I had one of those microbursts disassemble my polymer shed last summer. It was a pain in the ass finding the pieces and putting it back together. Of course, it was raining too, so anything in a cardboard box was soaked.

The shed 8' away that had been getting ready to collapse for the last 20 years was fine.

Reply to
rbowman
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22 foot span definitely will need center posts, unle3ss you buy trusses made to support a 22 foot span. And try to buy 22 foor 2x8s. Most places only sell up to 16', but a real lumber yard may have up to 20' and will be costly. 22' is really pushing the limit. You'll need 12' joined in the center. (cut to 11').

A building that size should have 6x6 posts, not 4x4s.

I suggest you get some pre-made plans and follow them, since you seem to not know how to build something like that.

Personally, if you're gonna build something that big, I'd make it a garage. Carports still drift full of snow in winter, and most "carports" are just small roofed, open sided sheds big enough for one vehicle. And why 26' long? Most cars and pickup trucks are not over 16' long.

Reply to
Jerry.Tan

or buy a steel carport kit and assemble it......

a friend had 2 vehicles in his carport when we had a bad snow.

that resulted in a scrapper coming to tow away the 2 totaled vehicles, and the failed carport/

Reply to
bob haller

I agree with the 6x6s. I built a shed for horses. It was 30 ft long and

12 ft. wide. It was split into 3 parts, (11 ft one each end, and 8 ft in the middle.) The 11 x12 ends were open on one side so the horses could go in an out as they pleased. The middle 8 x 12 section was closed on all sides with a door and was intended for saddles ropes buckets, and other horse tack and supplies.

I used 4x4 posts (eight of them). I had just finished it, and just put on the door in the middle. All that had to be done was put some shelves in that middle section, and the horses were already using the ends. That night there was a very severe storm. Five of the 4x4's snapped off the other three pulled out of the freshly packed soil (no concrete was used). The entire building lannded upside-down, about 40 feet away, which also ripped down at least 100 feet of fencing that was attached to the shed. Because I built it strong, the entire structure stayed together, leaving a complete building laying on it's roof. but with 5 posts broken off, much of the pole barn metal torn and/or badly dented, mangled fencing everywhere, and several horses injured, but luckily none were injured real badly. All horses were loose, the stallion was running with the mares, but he was so scared that he did not breed any of them. (He was the one hurt the worst too). They just huddled together for security, in the yard, and under some trees.

The weather bureau claimed it was probably an isolated small (skipping) tornado, but they were not able to prove it it was a tornado or not. Our house (100 ft away and several neighboring buildings, had shingled ripped off parts of the roof, some broken windows and other damages. Two farms away there was no damage. But about a mile away , and several more miles there were similar damages. (Thus the skipping).

My point is this: If I had used 6x6's, and put concrete around the posts, I think it would have stayed intact. Of course I'll never really know...... But with those open sides, and the wind came from that direction, it just became like a plastic bag, where the wind blows into the end and carrys it away. If it was not for a sturdy metal kids swing set which appeared to stop it, the whole shed may have crashed into the house.

BTW: It took a crane to upright it and get it back to where it belonged. Plus new posts and much of the metal on the roof had to be replaced.

Reply to
Jerry.Tan

If it was a tornado, I doubt if even 6 x 6's would have stood up.

Reminds me of the time my friend built a 2x4 stall for his (immature) bull, then ask me to help him shove pills in it's mouth.

It ran through the stall like it was made of paper.

Next week he conned me into helping him again and made the stall out of

4x4's and it looked damn sturdy to me.

No problem, the bull just kicked out the side of the barn and left the scene.

I did not bother to help my friend again.

Reply to
philo

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